Hamilton A Great College Coach

MICHAEL MAYO COMMENTARY

June 8, 2000|MICHAEL MAYO COMMENTARY

An untucked shirt. An undisciplined shot. These are the little things that matter to Leonard Hamilton, the little things that could provoke something as mild as a rebuke or as harsh as a suspension. These are the little things that make him so good as a college coach and, above all, an educator.

He is a molder of men.

But a motivator in the NBA?

That's what makes this courtship out of left field so bizarre. You can't blame Hamilton, because when Michael Jordan comes calling with wads of cash, common sense says to listen. But what are the Washington Wizards and Jordan thinking?

The image of Hamilton patrolling an NBA sideline is about as incongruous as John Rocker riding the No. 7 train. In a Mets uniform.

Hamilton and his brand of principled, tough-love discipline fit perfectly at a developing program like the University of Miami. This is a coach who twice suspended his best player, Johnny Hemsley, last season to teach the lesson that no star is bigger than the team.

But it's hard to imagine how this would play in the player-driven NBA, especially in a win-now, delicate-ego atmosphere like Washington.

Can you see it now, the first time Hamilton gets on Rod Strickland for who knows what? We're talking P.J. Carlesimo-Latrell Sprewell, the sequel.

Hamilton is surely smart enough to adapt, but you wonder how much he'd be able to bend his way to the NBA. He is a man of principle, a coach who'd rather do things the right way than the expedient way.

But the mere fact this mating dance is taking place shows everyone has a price. Hamilton just signed a lucrative extension to stay at Miami, even though his stock has never been higher than after UM's recent run to the NCAA Sweet 16. After the season, with Georgia Tech and other schools pursuing him, the question was "Will he leave?" But with frustrations mounting and the never-ending quest to build an on-campus arena ongoing (any century now, Leonard, really), the more appropriate question was "Why should he stay?"

Moving on to a bigger and more fanatical basketball school seemed like the logical next step. But nobody envisioned the NBA.

Enter the Wizards, who can't seem to find anyone willing to work in Jordan's shadow with an underperforming cast. Since Jordan came aboard as franchise savior/president of basketball operations in mid-season and fired Gar Heard, there has been a revolving door of would-be coaches, interim coaches and potential coaches. Last month, he tried to go after Mike Jarvis of St. John's, but Jarvis played salary hardball.

Maybe Jordan is just flirting with Hamilton to get under Jarvis' skin and goad him back to the table.

But apparently the Wizards are prepared to hand the coaching keys over to Hamilton, even though he's never driven anything more sophisticated than the basketball equivalent of a Chevy. As a head coach he's never won anything more than a share of the Big East regular-season title.

To be sure, Hamilton has performed a minor miracle in Coral Gables and deserves whatever reward comes his way. But his good work came on an unhurried timetable with no expectations and pressure. He endured many lean years, including a winless season in his conference, before turning the tide. He won't have that luxury in Washington.

Hamilton is no stranger to adversity, having built a meaningful program in an area with little fan support and many obstacles. He has to be flattered that somebody wants him for an even bigger challenge. But he better step back and ask himself if he'd have to become something he's not.

Because he seems the epitome of a college coach, the antithesis of NBA mercenary.

Wish him all the luck in the world if he decides to take the plunge. He'll need it.